Thread-controlling mechanism for button-sewing machines.



B. T. LEVEQUE. THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1908.

922,786, Patented May 25, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

'IImEAD-CONTROLLING MECHANISM: FOR BUTTON-SEWING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed November 3, 1908. Serial No. 460,836.

To all whom it may concern:

3 embodiment of my thread-controlling mech- Be it known that I, BERNARD T. LEVEQUE, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, and 1 1 and the thread is unclaniped Fig. 2 is a leftresident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Thread-Controlling Mechanism for Button-Sewing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the anism applied thereto, the partsbeing shown in readiness to sew a button onto the fabric,

hand side elevation and part section, on the line 22, Fig. 1, of the thread-controlling mechanism, the section being taken through accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing g clearly the construction of the thread-clam like parts.

This invention relates to machines for sewing buttons onto fabrics, such for instance as forms the subject-matter of United States the cam which governs the o eration of said mechanism; Fig. 3 is an en a!" ed sectional detail on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, s lowing more ing means; Fig. 4 is a cross-section on t e Patent No. 886826 granted to me May 5,

? relatlon to the thread; Fig. 5 is a face view of i a member of said device, to be referred to;

1908, and it has for its object the production of novel and efiicient mechanism for con trolling the thread by which the buttons are attached to the fabric.

In the patent referred to the needle, which moves in a single path, forms a primary loop which is drawn through the shank or eye of the button, and a secondar loop is then formed and interlocked wit 1 the primary illustrating a part of the device by which the clamping means is opened and closed with 1 button-hopper H and its raceway H, the

5 looper L on a rotatablelooper-bar L; the i feed-prong 5 and its carrier 6, the work-suploop by being drawn through it, and thereafter the secondary loop is spread, cast ofl from the needle, and laced over the button close to the work. he loop is then drawn taut and the work is fed automatically into position for the attachment of the next button. hen the loop is drawn taut the thread should be held or clamped firmly and positively at a point between the thread supply and the loop-formin instrumentality, and the thread should be ree to draw or move toward such instrumentality during the formation of the primary and secondary 100 s, and also when the machine is at rest, so that the operator can then readily pull off additional t read if necessary or convenient.

In my present invention I have provided thread-controlling mechanism which fulfils the stated requirements, in a simple and efhcient manner, with no tendency to cut or injure the thread when clamped, and I have for convenience illustrated such mechanism in connection with the button-sewing machine forming the subject-matter of my patent previouslyreferred to.

The various novel features of my resent port 21 for the work IV, vertically-reciprocating hooked needle 31, moving in a single fixed path, the hook-closer 35 (broken ofi in Fig. 1 to show the end of the needle) the resser-foot 41 the loop-spreader 52, and the mechanism for actuating the various arts, may be and are all substantially as siown in my patent, and operate as therein set forth.

Within the head A a horizontal stud forms a fulcrum for a rocking lever 61, Fig. 2, having at its rear, inner end within the head A a roll or other stud 62 which travels in a camroove 13 formed in the side of the cam dlsk F fast on the main shaft B, see Figs. 1 and 2 the front end of the lever 61 extending forward through a slot a in the front wall of the head A and having mounted upon it a swiveled ear 63 pivotally connected with a depending link 64. Herein I have utilized the cam-disk F, shown in my patent, in which to form the cam-groove B and referring to Fig. 2 said groove is shown as having a dwell portion from 1 to 2, a longer dwell ortion from 3 to 4 and of less radius than t e shorter dwell, the two dwell portions being connected by the parts 23 and 4-1 of the groove. The lower end of the link 64 is pivotally connected with an ear 65 swiveled in a block 66, Fig. 6, adjustably held b a nut 67 in the short, slotted arm 68 of a bell -crank lever 68, 69 fulcrumed on a horizontal stud 70 on the front wall of the head A. This bellcrank lever constitutes a swinging or vibrating carrier for the thread-clamping means, to be described, the movement of the carrier being effected by the cam 13 through the intervening connections as hereinbefore set forth. The depending arm 69 of the clampcarrier has formed upon it at right angles thereto a tubular, elongated hub 71 Figs. 2 and 3, which is drilled through near its front end to receive a small tubularthread-guide 72, fixed in the hub 71 and having its bore intersected by the bore of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3.

The clamp for the thread comprises a lunger like member 73 longitudinally slida le in the hub and provided at its rear end with a head 74 having oppositely extended lugs 75 to which the rear ends of springs 76 are attached. Between the head 74 of what I shall term the movable clamping member 73 and the adjacent end of the hub 71 a disk 77 is rotatably mounted on said member 73, the disk having diametrically opposite and substantially V-shaped depressions 7 8, Fig. 5, and a finger 79 depends from said disk, said disk constituting a clamp controller. Roundended pins 80 fixed in the rear end of hub 71, Fig. 3, are adapted to engage the disk 77 and to rest upon its flat face or to enter the depressions 78, according to the angular position of said disk on the clamping member 73, as will be explained, the front end of said member entering the threadassage through the guide 72, as shown in ig. 3, when the pins 80 are in the depressions 78. The relatively fixed, but adjustable, clamping member is shown as a threaded, elongated stud 81, which is screwed into the front end of the hub 71, internally threaded for the purpose, and against the said end of the hub is held a spring-holder 82 to which the adjacent ends of the springs 76 are attached, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring visible in Fig. 2 being broken out between its ends. An extension 83 is mounted on and depends below the member 81 outside the spring-holder, which latter receives the member 81, and a checknut 84 is then set up tight against the extension, so that the member 81, spring-holder 82, and extension 83 are fixedly held together and on the hub 71 of the clamp-carrier. The inner or rear end of the clamping member 81 extends into the passage through the threadguide 72, as shown in Fig. 3, and said end presents a relatively fixed, flattened surface with which the thread t engages Within the guide, while the adjacent and opposed end of the movable clamping member 73 is movable toward and from the member 81 according to the angular position of the disk 77, the springs 76 always tending to close the clamp. That 1s, the tension of said springs, whenever free to act, operates to move the end of the member 73 toward the end of the member 81 which is relatively fixed, to securely clamp or lock the thread t between said members and prevent its movement through the thread-guide 72. If, however, relative angular movement of the disk 77 and the hub 71 is effected to cause the pins 80 to ride u the sloping sides of the grooves 78 towar the flat face of the said disk the latter will be pushed to the left, viewing Fig. 3, and acting against the head 74 the movable member 73 of the thread-clamp will be moved in the same direction, separating the adjacent ends of the members 73 and 81 and unclamping the thread t within the thread-guide 72, so that the thread is free to be drawn through said guide from the source of supply. The thread is led from such source of supply, (not shown) through an eye 86 and a tension device 87 of common form, shown as m0unted on the carrier arm 69, Fig. 1, through the thread-guide 72 and clamping means therein, and thence down through a hole in a stud on the extension 83, clearly shown in Fig. 2, said extension forming a rigid part of the carrier. From the apertured stud 85 the thread is led by suitable guiding devices 88, 89, 90 to the looper L, Fig. 1, and the sewing instrumentality. It will be noted that the effective leverage of the apertured stud 85 is the distance between it and the fulcrum 70 of the clamp-carrier.

Upon suitable bosses on the base A I mount adjustable stops or shifting devices 91, 92, Fig. 1, held in adjusted position by set-screws 91 92 respectively, said screws passing through longitudinal slots in the stops, the acting end of the sto 92 being upturned at 93, into the path 0 the finger 79 when the clamp-carrier is swung to the left from the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein said finger is shown in engagement with the sto 91. The stops are so adjusted that they wil alternately engage the finger 79 just before the clamp-carrier reaches the end of its stroke, so that each engagement will effect a slight angular or shifting movement of the clam -controller 77 relative to the clamp mem er 73, to cause the pins 80 to slide up the inclined sides of the grooves 78 and open the clamp in the manner described. That is, at each end of the stroke of the clampcarrier the clamp is automatically opened and the thread released, and just as soon as the movement of the clamp-carrier is reversed and the finger 79 is removed from a stop the springs 76 act to return the clam controller 77 to normal 1position, with t e pins 80 in the bottoms of t e cam-grooves 78, automatically closing the clamp upon the thread.

VVhen the parts of the thread-controlling mechanism are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the thread t is unclam ed and the operator can pull off any desire length of thread from the supply, and after the button-sewing operation is begun the thread remains uncla-mpcd while the roll (32, Fig. 2, traverses the dwell portion I,-- --l of the cam 'roove 13"", the primary loop of the interlocked loops, which constitute a species of knot, being then formed. As the roll 62 traverses the part 23 of the cam-groove the clamp-carrier is swung to the left, Fig. 1, and the thread is clamped in the guide 72-, the finger 79 having left the stop 9], but as the clamp-carrier is moving toward the sewing instrumentality the thread is given up or slackened, and it is unclampcd when the finger 79 engages the upturned end 93 of the sto 92, and the clamp-controller 77 is again shl ted. The roll (32 now traverses the part 3-4 of the cam-groove and the clamp-carrier is at rest, the thread being unclampcd during the formation of the secondary loop, its interlocking wit-h the primary loop, and the spreading and placing of the secondary loop over the button. Now the secondary must be drawn taut to tighten the knot an complete the attachment of the button to the work, and the roll enters and traverses the part 4-1 of the cam-groove B thereby causing the clamp-carrier to be swung from left to right into the position shown in Fig. 1, completing the cycle. As soon as the finger 79 is disengaged from the stop 92 the thread is clam )ed, and the swing of the carrier to the rig it pulls the clam )ed thread with it and thereby draws taut the loop around the button-eye or shank, this being completed as the clamp is again opened by engagement of the finger 79 with the stop 91. The adjustment of the stops enables me to regulate the control of the thread-clamp as may be necessary, and as said adjustments are made independently it will be obvious that the clamping action may be advanced at one end of the stroke of the clamp-carrier and retarded at the other end, and vice velsa. So, also by adjusting the swiveled ear 65 in the slotted arm 68 of the clamp-carrier the stroke of the latter can be varied as may be necessary or desirable.

The thread is clamped between two flat or substantially plane surfaces, so that there is no tendency to break, cut or fray the thread either when clamped or unclam wed, and by adjustment of the relatively fixed member of the clamp provision is made for threads of various sizes or character.

While the thread is actually clamped as the clanlp moves bodily toward the loo forming instrumentalit-y it is given up freely as required and is unclamped because the clamp is moving in the direction of any pull on the thread and hence ives up the thread freely as it is needed by te loop-forming instrumentality, and the thread left free just before such movement of the clamp ceases, the clamping during such movement being incidental to the operation of the threadcontrolling mechanism as a whole, rather than a. requirement so far as concerns control of the thread. If the clamp did notmove toward the loop-forming instrumentalit-y while actually clamping the thread the latter would not be given up, but would be held, as will be manifest.

Various changes or modifications in details of construction and arrangementmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention as set forth in the claims annexed hereto.

lIa-ving fully described my invention, what .l. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a l'mtton-sewing machine having an inslrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary loops and pass one through and the other around the eye of a button, in cmnbination, a thread-clamp movable bodily toward and from said instrumentality while the primary loop is being formed and after formation of the secondary loop, respectively, clamping the thread duling the major part of such movements, and automatic. means to open the clamp as it approaches the end of its movement in each direction and to close it after the direction of its bodily movement is reversed, whereby the thread is released when the clamp is at rest at each end of its bodily movement.

2. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary lmtton-attaching loops, in combination, a tubular thread-guide, a clamp comprising two thread-engagin members one of which is movable towarc and from the other, to at times engage and clamp the thread within the threadguide, means to move the thread-guide and clamp bodily away from the loop-forming iristrumentality after the formation of the secondary loop, and means to efiect automatically closure of the thread-engaging members upon the thread between said instrumentahty and the thread-supply contem oraneously with the bodily movement. of tie clamp and to separate said members at the termination of such movement.

3. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary button-attaching loops, in combination, a thread-clamp to engage the thread between said instrulnentallty and the thread-su )ply, the clam including opposed and relatively movab e members to receive the thread between them, means to move the clamp bodily toward the loop forming instrument-ality piior to, and away therefrom after, formation of the secondary loop, and stationary means adjacent 0 p0- site ends of the path of movement 0 the clamp to separate said clamping members temporarily to release the thread as the clamp approaches the end of its bodily movement in each direction.

4. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumcntalit-y to form interlocked primary and secondary button-attaching loops, in combination, a thread-clamp to engage the thread between said inst rumentality and the thread-supply, the clamp including op posed and relatively movable members to receive the thread between them, one of said members being adjustable relatively to the other member to accommodate differing threads, means to move the clamp bodily toward the loop-forming instrumentality prior to, and away therefrom after formation 01' the secondary loop, and stationary means to act intermittingly and separate said clamping members temporarily to release the thread as the clamp approaches the end of its bodily movement in each direction.

5. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked buttonattaching loops, in combination, a threadclamp to engage the thread between said instrumentality and the thread-supply, means to move the clamp bodily and interlnittingly toward and from said. instrumentality, with a period of rest after each movement, and means to effect opening and closing of the clamp at approximately the beginning and end, respectively, of each of such periods of rest.

6. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked buttonattaching loops, in combination, athreadclamp to engage the thread between said instrumentality and the thread-supply, an intermittingly vibrating clamp-carrier to move the clamp toward and from the loop-forming instrumentality, and separate, independently adjustable means to cause the clamp to open and close at a predetermined pointnear the end of each stroke of the clamp-carrier.

7. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked buttonattaching loops, in combination, a threadclamp to engage the thread between. said instrumentality and the thread-supply, an intermittingly vibrating clamp-carrier to move the clamp toward and from the loop-forming instrumentality, means to cause the clamp to open and close at a predetermined point near one end of the path of movement there- 01', and separate means to cause similar action of the clamp at a predetermined point near the other end of its path of movement.

8. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary button-attaching 100 s, in combination, an intermittingly acting c ampcarrier movable toward and from said in strumentality and provided with a tubular threadguide, a clamp comprising opposed,

relatively movable members to at times engage and clamp the thread Within the threadguide, the carrier moving the clamp toward the loop-forming instrumentality prior to completion of the secondary loop, and means to close the clamp members upon the thread when the clamp-carrier moves away from said instrumentalit-y after completion of the secondary loop, to thereby take up the thread of the interlocked loops.

9. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary bu tton-attachingloops, in combination, an intermittingly acting clampcarrier movable toward and from said in strumentality and provided with a tubular threadguide, a clamp comprising opposed, relatively movable members to at times engage and clamp the thread within the threadguide, the carrier moving the clamp toward the loop-forming instruinentality prior to completion of the secondary loop, a clam controller to govern the movement of t 1e clamp members toward and from each other, spring-actuating means coo crating with said controller to close the 0 amp members upon the thread, and means to intermittingly engage and move the clamp-control er against said springacting means to separate the clamp members and release the thread at predetermined points in the path of movement of said clamp-carrier.

10. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked primary and secondary button-attaching 100 s, in combination, a thread-clamp to engage t e thread between said instrumentality and the thread-supply, means to move the clamp bodily toward said instrumentality prior to the formation of the secondary loop and away after such formation, and to retain the clamp stationary after each movement, separate devices to cooperate in alternation with the clamp and cause it to release the thread at approximately each end of the stroke of the clamp and leave the thread released while the clamp is stationary, and means movable with the clamp and acting automatically when the clamp is in motion to cause it to clamp the thread, whereby the latter is slackened rior to formation of the secondary loop, an drawn away after such formation to take up the thread of the interlocked loops.

11. In a button-sewing machine having an instrumentality to form interlocked button-attaching loops, in combination, a thread-clamp to engage the thread between said instrumentality and the thread-supply, a clamp-carrier intermittin 1y moved toward and from said instrumenta ity, a tension device on the clamp-carrier, the thread passing from said device through the clamp, stationary means to cooperate interrnittingly with and open the clamp prior to each reversal of movement of the clamp-carrier and to retain it open until after movement of said carrier in the reversed direction begins, 5

and independent means on the clamp-carrier ceases to act.

to close the clamp when said opening means 12. In a sewing machine, a loop-forming 1 instrumentality, a clamp to cooperate with the thread at a point between said instrucontroller to effect opening and closing of the mentality and the thread-supply, a clamprecord of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

[SEAL] loop-forming instrumentality, and stationary means to intermittingly coo ei'ate with the clamp-controller and cause tie same to open the clamp and release the thread as the clamp-carrier approaches the end of its movement in each direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY F. DQHERTY, TnoMAs J. GARTY.

It is hereby cvr tified that in Letters Patent No. 922,786, granted May .25, 1909, upon the application of Bernard T. Leveque, of Boston; Massachusetts, for an improvement in Thread-ControllingMechanism for Button-Sewing Machines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as foll ws: In line 90, page 4; the compound word spring-actuating should read spring-acting; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. 1)., 1909.

o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

versal of movement of the clamp-carrier and to retain it open until after movement of said carrier in the reversed direction begins, 5

and independent means on the clamp-carrier ceases to act.

to close the clamp when said opening means 12. In a sewing machine, a loop-forming 1 instrumentality, a clamp to cooperate with the thread at a point between said instrucontroller to effect opening and closing of the mentality and the thread-supply, a clamprecord of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

[SEAL] loop-forming instrumentality, and stationary means to intermittingly coo ei'ate with the clamp-controller and cause tie same to open the clamp and release the thread as the clamp-carrier approaches the end of its movement in each direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY F. DQHERTY, TnoMAs J. GARTY.

It is hereby cvr tified that in Letters Patent No. 922,786, granted May .25, 1909, upon the application of Bernard T. Leveque, of Boston; Massachusetts, for an improvement in Thread-ControllingMechanism for Button-Sewing Machines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as foll ws: In line 90, page 4; the compound word spring-actuating should read spring-acting; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. 1)., 1909.

o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 922

meut in 'i.hread-Ountrolling Mechanism for Button-Sewing Machines,a.n error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 90, page 4,-the

r compound word spring-actuating should read spring-carting; and that the said Letters I Patent should be read with this correction therein that lhe eaim may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D., 190$).

[SEAL] C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner qfPatents. 

